Me Time

I'm so happy it's Friday. It hasn't necessarily been a bad week, its just that when the weekend comes, I can breath an internal sigh of relief. I don't have to get up at a certain time, I don't have to answer to clients and/or bosses and I am free to do as I wish. Saturday and Sunday are my days for me time. It's hard during the week to give yourself medicine when there are so many people wanting your time and attention.

As a human beings, we give of ourselves every day. We give to our jobs, friends, family, stranger on the street, dog next door, guy in the elevator, ETC. and with all this continual giving, we end up feeling empty, drained (often both physically and emotionally) and exhausted. For those of us who are chronic givers (and yes, I am using chronic in the negative sense, and yes, I am a chronic giver) we often times continually give until we have a major melt down. I think I am doing the right thing, giving all the time, making everyone else happy (or so I think), but it's not making me happy. In the end, I sometimes cry for no reason, become angry and judgmental, hold grudges, pointing fingers and every other classic symptom of a temper tantrum. I ask though, is it really someone else's problem? Of course it's easier to point the finger, and place the blame somewhere else, but really, is it their fault? I would argue that, for the most part, no. Here's why: I can't give to the people around me until I have properly and wholly given to myself first. Period.

Spending time in the kitchen, creating something from scratch is my gift to myself. Call me on the weekend, and I can almost guarantee that there is either something in the over, on the stove or cooling. Me time. Medicine.

Last weekend's medicine was pizza dough. A friend came over for supper and a gab session. Pizza was on the menu. I chopped up a variety of ingredients, pulled the dough out of the freezer, and voila, instant dinner. Once you go homemade, it's extremely difficult to return to cardboard covered in plastic. Pizza is a simple food with an amazing amount of potential. Only thing limiting you is your imagination.

I made the dough beforehand and froze it into two portions. It's extremely easy, fast and a lot less work than you think. Pull the dough out of the freezer about 3 hours before you are going to eat, roll it out, smoother it in sauce and toppings and into the oven for 12 minutes at 425 degrees.


Basic Pizza Dough
Adapted from the New Best Recipe Cookbook
Makes 1 large pizza or two medium sized pizza's.

1/2 cup warm water (about 110 degrees)
2 1/4 teaspoons traditional yeast
1 1/4 cup water at room temperature
2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil
4 cups flour (all purpose works great)
1/2 teaspoon salt

Place warm water and yeast in a bowl and let sit for five minute. In a separate bowl, combine the flour, and salt. Add the remaining water and oil to the yeast mixture. While stirring constantly, add the water/yeast/oil mixture to the flour and stir until all ingredients are combined. If the dough seems too dry, add additional water in small increments. Similarly, if the dough seems to moist, add additional flour in small increments. Once you have the desired consistency, remove the dough from the bowl and knead by hand until the dough is a smooth elastic ball (around 10 minutes).

If you are using a mixer, start with the paddle attachment until all the ingredients are combined and have pulled away from the edges switch to the dough hook and let it work for about 5 - 7 minutes.

If you are using a food processor, pulse all ingredients (in the order listed above) until they start to pull away from the edges and form a ball, remove from the machine and knead for 10 minutes by hand.

In a slightly oiled bowl place the rounded dough. Cover first with plastic wrap, and then a tea towel, and let rest in a warm place for 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled in size. Once the dough has risen, punch it down and remove from the bowl. At this point you can either roll it or freeze it depending on your needs!